GUILTY Canada - Loretta Saunders, 26, Halifax, NS, 13 February 2014 #1

[elepher50]

I'd love to see these two dropped off in Labrador. I'm sure Loretta's family would be glad to give them a quick tour. Now THAT would be justice.

Agreed, and am sure there would be an 'intervention' of a magnitude that we have not witnessed before.

 

[matou]

Agree Halifax is beautiful and this has shaken the neighborhood to its core. Can I ask you since you have lived in Halifax this:
If you were to look for Loretta in an unofficial way of course where would be some spots that you would key in on? One place is Hemlock Ravine park which has the heart shaped pond - any place else other than the ones I have already mentioned. I am in the area right now and have about 2 hours of daylight left and am seriously considering checking out the Hemlock Ravine park within the next hour....will take jeep as am not sure of how icy/snowy it would be there right now.

Thank you Elepher! xo

 

[matou]

The former roommate of a missing Halifax woman is wanted by Alberta RCMP on two outstanding warrants.

Blake Leggette, 25, is wanted on warrants for possession of stolen property and possession of marijuana. He had been scheduled to appear before a Drumheller, Alta., court on April 16, 2013, but failed to appear.

Leggette is currently facing several charges in connection to the disappearance of Loretta Saunders in Halifax.

Leggette is trying to flee police. I wonder when he made the escape to NS? Where was he living before Loretta's apartment?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...er-roommate-wanted-on-alta-warrants-1.2548394

 

[matou]

Good article:

“She went to get her rent Thursday and said if they didn’t have it she’ll tell them they have to leave. When she got there they weren’t home. She phoned them, apparently, and told them they had to leave.”

Video surveillance from the apartment shows her leaving the apartment on Thursday, Feb. 13, alone. It does not appear she was followed, said Saunders.

more at link

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...ta-saunders-disappearance-halifax-police-say/

 

[matou]

The apartment management says the building has a controlled-access lobby and monitored security cameras.

Alarmingly, text messages were sent from Saunders’ phone later that evening claiming she was locked out of her online banking and could not remember her mother’s maiden name to bypass security, the family said.

The next day, Valentine’s Day, her phone was briefly in contact by text message with her sister, Ms. Terriak, around 1 p.m.

“The conversation was suspiciously short,” Terriak said.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...ta-saunders-disappearance-halifax-police-say/

 

[sinkorswim]

First time posting here, forgive me if I break any rules, but this case has captured my attention, both because I am a university student with a somewhat similar backstory to Loretta (as well, a friend of mine is close with her sister) and because I am a Newfoundlander as Loretta is, and I believe Victoria to be as well.

Judging from what I have been able to mine from facebook, what I know as a Newfoundland resident from most of my life, and personal knowledge of arrest procedures, I believe VH is likely originally from the Marystown, NL area (a number of Henneburys-the last name has been spelled incorrectly in most media reports-as well as facebook ties to people from there), or Goose Bay, Labrador (same thing with facebook ties, and again there are Henneburys there-I know this as I have a relative who went out with a Hennebury from Goose Bay.). Hennebury is not a particularly common name, and the only other real concentration is in St. John's, so it is possible she is from St. John's, but I'm from St. John's and of an age where if she was from here, I would probably know it by now. Either of these is possible, the possibility she may be from Goose bay is particularly intriguing as LS is originally from Hopedale, and Goose Bay is where you have to go from Hopedale to get out of Labrador by plane. I have suspicions that there may be threads connecting those involved in this case that haven't been released by the police, but I will get into that shortly.

I do believe Hennebury is her birth name, it is common procedure for police to use the name that appears on somebody's birth certificate in such media releases, no matter what aliases of new identities they have dreamt up for themselves.

I know people on this thread are saying that BL is originally from Calgary, and again, through Facebook mining he definitely has family there, but after going through VH's 'Veronica Love' page thoroughly, and having made particular note of a specific 'like' on the VL facebook page regarding VH/BL “engagement”, I believe I'm with those here who think he is actually originally from New Germany, NS. And if not, he certainly has close relatives that are from there, one of whom has posted publicly on “family s#8*” that has been overwhelming them. New Germany is in rural NS, about an hour and a half or so out of Halifax, and it makes one wonder if perhaps BL would have a pretty good knowledge of some less populated areas of the province; this would certainly assist if one needed to dump something or somebody on the way out of town, unfortuneately.

My gut belief, especially considering the relative silence from the police, is that somebody among VL, BL, LS, and LS's boyfriend knew each other previously. Or that possibly they all knew each other. It's only speculation, obviously, but something doesn't make sense. Was the apartment rented to VH and BL through kijiji or through the bf? Who lets somebody they don't know go behind on rent by $700 in the first moth they're there? The brother said he couldn't remember how they met. We know little about LS' pre-university history, other than that she was on methadone. (which coincidentally, as somebody posted, is not 'meth'--they are two different things. Meth-crystal meth or methamphetamine is a stimulent--an upper, while methadone is used to treat addictions to opiates—oxycontin, oxycodone, percocet heroin—downers. Somebody on methadone would be having extreme and painful withdrawls within a few hours to a day of missing a daily dose, which again, sadly, doesn't bode well for LS.) We know VH and BL dabbled in drugs---and well, drug addicts tend to band together, and Newfoundlanders do too. (speaking from having been both) It's all speculation of course, but something's fishy to me. It really is. There's a lot we don't know. Hopefully we will find out, and more importantly, hopefully Loretta's family can get at least some form of closure.

Oh. Hey all.

 

[basilcat]

Agree Halifax is beautiful and this has shaken the neighborhood to its core. Can I ask you since you have lived in Halifax this:
If you were to look for Loretta in an unofficial way of course where would be some spots that you would key in on? One place is Hemlock Ravine park which has the heart shaped pond - any place else other than the ones I have already mentioned. I am in the area right now and have about 2 hours of daylight left and am seriously considering checking out the Hemlock Ravine park within the next hour....will take jeep as am not sure of how icy/snowy it would be there right now.

There are so many places in and around Halifax..
Another thought I had was crystal crescent beach out past herring cove...doubt you'd have time though ....
So many secluded spots..so much forest,ocean,and,water...I'm at a loss...
Thank you for your on hands efforts...good luck...take care...

 

[matou]

First time posting here, forgive me if I break any rules, but this case has captured my attention, both because I am a university student with a somewhat similar backstory to Loretta (as well, a friend of mine is close with her sister) and because I am a Newfoundlander as Loretta is, and I believe Victoria to be as well.

Judging from what I have been able to mine from facebook, what I know as a Newfoundland resident from most of my life, and personal knowledge of arrest procedures, I believe VH is likely originally from the Marystown, NL area (a number of Henneburys-the last name has been spelled incorrectly in most media reports-as well as facebook ties to people from there), or Goose Bay, Labrador (same thing with facebook ties, and again there are Henneburys there-I know this as I have a relative who went out with a Hennebury from Goose Bay.). Hennebury is not a particularly common name, and the only other real concentration is in St. John's, so it is possible she is from St. John's, but I'm from St. John's and of an age where if she was from here, I would probably know it by now. Either of these is possible, the possibility she may be from Goose bay is particularly intriguing as LS is originally from Hopedale, and Goose Bay is where you have to go from Hopedale to get out of Labrador by plane. I have suspicions that there may be threads connecting those involved in this case that haven't been released by the police, but I will get into that shortly.

I do believe Hennebury is her birth name, it is common procedure for police to use the name that appears on somebody's birth certificate in such media releases, no matter what aliases of new identities they have dreamt up for themselves.

I know people on this thread are saying that BL is originally from Calgary, and again, through Facebook mining he definitely has family there, but after going through VH's 'Veronica Love' page thoroughly, and having made particular note of a specific 'like' on the VL facebook page regarding VH/BL “engagement”, I believe I'm with those here who think he is actually originally from New Germany, NS. And if not, he certainly has close relatives that are from there, one of whom has posted publicly on “family s#8*” that has been overwhelming them. New Germany is in rural NS, about an hour and a half or so out of Halifax, and it makes one wonder if perhaps BL would have a pretty good knowledge of some less populated areas of the province; this would certainly assist if one needed to dump something or somebody on the way out of town, unfortuneately.

My gut belief, especially considering the relative silence from the police, is that somebody among VL, BL, LS, and LS's boyfriend knew each other previously. Or that possibly they all knew each other. It's only speculation, obviously, but something doesn't make sense. Was the apartment rented to VH and BL through kijiji or through the bf? Who lets somebody they don't know go behind on rent by $700 in the first moth they're there? The brother said he couldn't remember how they met. We know little about LS' pre-university history, other than that she was on methadone. (which coincidentally, as somebody posted, is not 'meth'--they are two different things. Meth-crystal meth or methamphetamine is a stimulent--an upper, while methadone is used to treat addictions to opiates—oxycontin, oxycodone, percocet heroin—downers. Somebody on methadone would be having extreme and painful withdrawls within a few hours to a day of missing a daily dose, which again, sadly, doesn't bode well for LS.) We know VH and BL dabbled in drugs---and well, drug addicts tend to band together, and Newfoundlanders do too. (speaking from having been both) It's all speculation of course, but something's fishy to me. It really is. There's a lot we don't know. Hopefully we will find out, and more importantly, hopefully Loretta's family can get at least some form of closure.

Oh. Hey all.

Hi and WELCOME! I too read a family member's fb post about "family *advertiser censored*" that has them bothered! He is from NS or is very familiar with the area for sure. I noticed this from the National Post article. Loretta's brother isn't sure if the two suspects were contacted via Kijiji or if Loretta's boyfriend knew them.

Saunders, originally from Hopedale, N.L., had taken two roommates into her Halifax high-rise apartment on Cowie Hill Road to help cover her school expenses, her brother said. He is not sure if she met the renters on Kijiji, an online advertising site, or was introduced to them by her boyfriend.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...ta-saunders-disappearance-halifax-police-say/

 

[basilcat]

Now that it's rumoured he may have grown up outside of bridge water...there's the possibility that any of the back roads along the 103 might be involved...
Wonder when exactly they took possession of the car and when they arrived in Ontario...

My heart goes out to Loretta's family and friends...

 

[Miranda]

Agree Halifax is beautiful and this has shaken the neighborhood to its core. Can I ask you since you have lived in Halifax this:
If you were to look for Loretta in an unofficial way of course where would be some spots that you would key in on? One place is Hemlock Ravine park which has the heart shaped pond - any place else other than the ones I have already mentioned. I am in the area right now and have about 2 hours of daylight left and am seriously considering checking out the Hemlock Ravine park within the next hour....will take jeep as am not sure of how icy/snowy it would be there right now.

I wish I could. As you know, part of the beauty of the city is that one can find so much seclusion in nature without travelling very far-SO many places. As far as I know these two had just arrived in Halifax in January from Calgary. There was some talk of her living in Truro at some point though. I've had the Mahone Bay area in the back of my mind too because there are so many seasonal properties. Oak Island? The last time I was there it had been sold and was vacant. We went fishing (and searching for Blackbeard's treasures) all day and never saw a soul.

 

[Gemms]

Hello All!

I've been lurking on this thread for quite sometime. I have to say that I am so impressed and overwhelmed by the work that you all have put into find Loretta. I'm from Halifax, and as a graduate student (who went to SMU), I've been completely taken with this story.

Following all that has been found about the case I am very concerned for Loretta and her wellbeing - I do hope they find her safely...I've even thought that maybe this is part of her thesis plan- providing a casestudy for her thesis...but I don't think we're that lucky.

I have to say that there are sooooo many odd things about this. (1) the lack of search parties, (2) the conflicting information from her bf, (3) her advisor's letter (while lovely and from the heart, I would feel very uncomfortable if my advisor interacted with me like that), and (4) the timeline of her leaving the apartment alone.

I hope that we soon hear that progress has been made with the interrogation.

Thank you all for doing such a great job with this story and keeping us informed. As a young woman from Halifax, it's nice to know that there is such a large community out there looking and hoping for the safety of Loretta.

 

[matou]

When she left her apartment on Feb 13th, did she go to her car in an underground parking lot or to a regular outside parking spot? I wonder if she was jumped at that point while going to her vehicle?

 

[matou]

WELCOME Gemms!

Yes, there are many concerning factors in this case. From the many cases followed here on WS, this isn't the first time this has happened though. Because the two arrested had her vehicle in another province and tried to access her bank account and had her phone, I'm confident these two are the reason for Loretta's disappearance. JMO

 

[brighidin]

Hello All!

I've been lurking on this thread for quite sometime. I have to say that I am so impressed and overwhelmed by the work that you all have put into find Loretta. I'm from Halifax, and as a graduate student (who went to SMU), I've been completely taken with this story.

Following all that has been found about the case I am very concerned for Loretta and her wellbeing - I do hope they find her safely...I've even thought that maybe this is part of her thesis plan- providing a casestudy for her thesis...but I don't think we're that lucky.

I have to say that there are sooooo many odd things about this. (1) the lack of search parties, (2) the conflicting information from her bf, (3) her advisor's letter (while lovely and from the heart, I would feel very uncomfortable if my advisor interacted with me like that), and (4) the timeline of her leaving the apartment alone.

I hope that we soon hear that progress has been made with the interrogation.

Thank you all for doing such a great job with this story and keeping us informed. As a young woman from Halifax, it's nice to know that there is such a large community out there looking and hoping for the safety of Loretta.

Welcome to WS (and to the other new posters!). As to the bolded part, I don't think that would pass any ethics committee, but I know what you mean. I wish that's all it was too.

 

[Gemms]

Welcome to WS (and to the other new posters!). As to the bolded part, I don't think that would pass any ethics committee, but I know what you mean. I wish that's all it was too.

This is true. I was thinking maybe an autoethnographic approach, where she compares her own experience (the media coverage and outpouring) to that of other cases...but, I feel guilty and bad for thinking this, as I don't want to come across as suggesting she's not a victim or put her in a bad light. It just has crossed my mind given the inconsistencies and such of what I know. It also would mean she was still with us.

But...as others have said, I don't think that's very likely.

Just thinking about it....if it wasn't her on camera leaving (I don't think the suspects are clever enough to do that), and an deadly altercation happened in the apartment- there would be evidence there....and they potentially would have to dispose of the body using her car - which means there would likely be evidence in the car. This also means that she could be anywhere from here to Ont. (There's so much wilderness just around HRM for people to get lost in).

But if it didn't happen at the apartment....then she must have met up with them somewhere else- they would have had to contact her, so there would be records on her phone, correct? And where would she meet them- some place public you would think.

Also, do we know if there's footage of the suspects leaving their building? Where were they?

Are these things the public will ever know?

 

[elepher50]

Quick note that I am back from Hemlock Ravine safely - thank you Matou for covering via GPS - you know safety first. Will put up some pix of the area shortly.

 

[Miranda]

My Grandmother was a nurse in Halifax in WW2. Her 4 brothers were in the army. My Grandfather was a navigator in the RCAF. His 3 brothers were also in the air force. In Canada,the Maritimes were probably hit harder than anywhere else in the Country. Canadians were not conscripted until 1944 post the tremendous losses at V-Day. Although I do agree that Professors are not always reasonable when it comes to thesis topics (I've been there), I am also well aware that most Haligonians, Maritimers and Canadians (myself included) take great pride in the Maritimes efforts in both World Wars. I'm having a hard time believing that you were framed for terrorism or sexual entrapment for researching the World Wars. Please don't get me wrong, maybe I've just misunderstood your post. Can you elaborate on the angle of your research?

 

[dotr]

:Welcome1:Welcome to all the new posters !

 

[pattywack]

There are so many places in and around Halifax..
Another thought I had was crystal crescent beach out past herring cove...doubt you'd have time though ....
So many secluded spots..so much forest,ocean,and,water...I'm at a loss...
Thank you for your on hands efforts...good luck...take care...

Being as the car was found in Ontario if they did do something to Loretta I guess she could be anywhere from Halifax to Ontario.Not looking good for this young lady at all.

 

[elepher50]

Returned from Hemlock Ravine park - did not find anything. The area is rough and very icy so could not walk back through the trails. Did manage to walk to the back end of the heart shaped pond. The jeep was parked by the sign so did manage to walk back in a fair ways. Here are some pictures of the area:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/66419730@N08/